The question on the ballot was, "Shall the City Charter be amended to require the use of ranked choice voting, known sometimes as instant runoff voting, to elect city offices by a majority vote at a November election without holding a prior June election?"

Attempts to block?

In December 2009, Oakland City Attorney John Russo issued an opinion in which he said that it would be illegal for the Oakland City Council to try to block instant runoff voting from going into effect in 2010 under the provisions of Measure O.[1]

Former state Senator Don Perata, who plans to run for Mayor of Oakland in 2010, has been working against the implemention of IRV in Oakland.[1]

2010 decision to implement

Based on Oakland City Attorney John Russo's December 2009 opinion, the Oakland City Council by a 6-2 vote in January 2010 said that it will move forward with IRV voting beginning with the June 8, 2010 ballot, saying they "had no choice but to follow the mandate of 2006's Measure O and implement the system."[2]

Alameda County election officials say it will cost up to $1.5 million to pay for voter education and equipment upgrades to implement instant-runoff voting in Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro. Oakland's share could be as much as $946,000.[2]